How the desk works
The Boaboa reading-room desk is a small team of editors and writers. Every page in the reading room follows the same review process: a first draft, a second pass against the source, and a quarterly review by the desk lead. The reader who has read a page once has read the current version of it; the reader who revisits a page after a quarter has read the most up-to-date version.
This page describes how the desk works, what the desk accepts, what the desk declines, and the corrections policy the desk follows. The reader who has read this note has read the most useful standards note.
What the desk accepts
The desk accepts corrections to a published page, story tips for the news bulletin, responsible-play observations, republication requests, and queries about how the desk works. The desk replies to each within a week.
Five kinds of useful messages
- A correction with a dated source
- A story tip with a link and a date
- A responsible-play observation with a dated account
- A republication request with the publication name and the URL
- A query about how the desk works with a return address
The reading-room reader who has read this list has read the most useful description of what the desk accepts.
What the desk declines
The desk declines promotional pitches, gambling-related distress messages, and messages without a return address. The reading-room note is that a message without a return address is not a message the desk can answer.
Three kinds of messages the desk sets aside
- Promotional pitches from apps or affiliates
- Gambling-related distress messages (the reader is referred to the responsible-play page)
- Messages without a return address or a clear subject
The reading-room reader who has read this list has read the most useful description of what the desk declines.
The corrections policy
The desk publishes a dated correction note at the foot of any page where a verified error has been reported. The note includes the date the correction was published and a brief description of the change. The reader who has found an error is invited to write to the contact page with a dated correction.
Three things the corrections policy covers
- Errors of fact, with a dated source
- Errors of attribution, with a dated source
- Outdated items that no longer reflect the published source
The reading-room reader who has read this list has read the most useful description of the corrections policy.
The republication policy
The desk allows republication of any reading-room page with attribution to the Boaboa editorial desk and a link back to the original page. The desk asks republications to keep the original publication date intact.
What to read next
The routes that pair well with this one are the about page, the contact page and the responsible-play guide. The reading-room reader who has read all four has read the full standards spine.
Why the standards are short
The reading-room standards are short on purpose. The desk's note is that a long list of standards is harder to apply than a short one; the reader who has read a short list has read the most useful standards. The reader who has read this note has read the most useful description of why the standards are short.
The desk's read is that a careful reader reads the standards once, then revisits them when a specific question arises. The reader who has done both has read the most useful standards practice.
Three standards in plain English
- Accuracy against the source
- Plain-language writing without jargon
- Adult-reader framing, no promotional language
What the desk accepts in return
The desk accepts responsibility for the accuracy of every page at the time of publication. The desk publishes a dated correction note at the foot of any page where a verified error has been reported. The reader who has found an error is invited to write to the contact page with a dated correction.
What to read next
The routes that pair well with this one are the about page, the contact page and the responsible-play guide. The reading-room reader who has read all four has read the full standards spine.
What does not change between reviews
The standards do not change between reviews. The reading-room desk's note is that the standards are a fixed list; the reader who has read them once has read the current version. The reader who revisits this note has read the most useful confirmation that the standards have not changed.
The desk's read is that the application of the standards does change between reviews. The desk publishes a quarterly review of every page; the reader who revisits a page after a quarter has read the most up-to-date version. The reader who has read the editorial standards page has read the most useful description of how the desk applies the standards.
- The standards are a fixed list and do not change between reviews
- The application of the standards is reviewed quarterly
- The desk publishes a dated correction note when a verified error has been reported
- The reader who has subscribed to the RSS feed has read the most useful update note
The reading-room reader who has read this list has read the most useful description of what does not change between reviews.
What the reader does if the standards change
If the standards change, the desk publishes a dated note on this note and a short shift note in the bulletin. The reader who has read the bulletin has read the most useful description of the shift.
What to read next
The routes that pair well with this one are the about page, the contact page and the responsible-play guide. The reading-room reader who has read all four has read the full standards spine.
A short reading-room reading list
The reading-room routes that pair well with the editorial standards page are the about page, the contact page and the responsible-play guide. The reader who reads all four has read the full standards spine. The standards reader who has not visited the about page is the reader who has skipped the foundation.
The desk's read is that the standards reader visits the standards page when a specific question arises. The reader who has done both has read the most useful version of both.
Three reading habits worth practising
- Visit the standards page when a specific question arises
- Re-read the about page once a year
- Re-read the contact page when a message is to be sent
What to read next
The routes that pair well with this one are the about page, the contact page and the responsible-play guide. The reading-room reader who has read all four has read the full standards spine.
What the desk reads when it revisits this note
When the desk revisits this note on the quarterly review cycle, the desk reads the page against the source and against the reader's likely intent. The reading-room note is that the page is more useful when it has been read at least once by the reader before the revision; the reader who has read a page once has read the most useful baseline. The reader who revisits a page after a quarter has read the most useful updated version.
The desk's read is that the quarterly review also creates a small archive of dated revisions. The reader who has revisited a page after several quarters has read the most useful arc of the page. The desk publishes a dated note at the foot of every page when a revision has changed the content. The reader who has read the editorial standards page has read the most useful description of how the desk handles revisions.
The desk reads every page against the same three criteria. First, accuracy against the source. Second, plain-language writing without jargon. Third, adult-reader framing, no promotional language. A page that meets all three criteria on the quarterly review has read the most useful test. A page that fails one of the three has read the most useful reason for a revision.
What the desk does not revise
- The desk does not revise the URL of a page once it has been published
- The desk does not revise the publication date of a page without noting the revision
- The desk does not revise the editorial voice of a page without noting the revision
- The desk does not revise the page structure without noting the revision
The reading-room reader who has read this list has read the most useful description of what the desk does not revise.
How the desk handles reader feedback
The desk reads every message sent to the contact page. The desk replies within a week to messages that include a name, a return address and a clear subject. The desk publishes a dated correction note at the foot of a page when a verified error has been reported. The desk's read is that a feedback message with a dated source is more useful than a feedback message without one; the reader who has included the source has read the most useful feedback format.
The desk also reads the messages for patterns. A pattern the desk has noticed in reader feedback is the request for more practical examples; the desk responds by adding more examples in the next quarterly review. The reading-room reader who has written a feedback message with a specific example has read the most useful contribution to the next quarterly review.
Three kinds of useful feedback
- A correction with a dated source
- A practical example that illustrates the page's content
- A suggestion that links the page to a related page in the room
The reading-room reader who has included one of these three has read the most useful feedback format.
What the reader should expect on the next quarterly review
The reader should expect a small update to the page's content. The desk publishes a dated note at the foot of the page when the update has changed the content. The reader who has revisited the page after the quarterly review has read the most useful updated version. The reader who has read the editorial standards page has read the most useful description of how the desk handles updates.
The desk's read is that the quarterly review is also a useful opportunity for the reader to revisit related pages. The reader who has revisited the related pages has read the most useful full route. The reader who has read all three related pages has read the most useful reading-room spine for this route.
What to read next
The routes that pair well with this one are the about note, the contact note and the responsible play note. The reading-room reader who has read all four has read the full editorial standards spine.